Sunday, February 19, 2012

The Curious Absence of Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin was supposed to sing at Whitney Houston's Home Going celebration.

Dionne Warwick even announced Aretha's name during the service and had to be told Aretha wasn't there.

So what happened...?

Days before Whitney Houston's funeral Aretha Franklin told ABC News that Cissy Houston had asked her to sing and that although it would be hard she would do it. The night before the service Aretha performed a concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York and all seemed well. The next day however, hours before the service Aretha announced that because of excruciating leg cramps she would not be able to attend the funeral.

"I had every intention of being there. But unfortunately I had terrible leg spasms and locked leg muscles until 4:00 a.m. this morning following my concert last night, which I've been having for the last few days."

"I feel it necessary and very important to stay off my leg today as much as possible until concert time this evening. My heart goes out to my dear friend Cissy, Dionne, Bobbi Kristina and the rest of the family. May God keep them all.

– Aretha & the Franklin Family."

Interestingly enough Aretha performed without incident later that evening at Radio City where she kicked off her heels and even danced on stage.

Celebrities are the most narcissistic creatures on this earth. How is she dancing on the same day that she says her legs are messed up.

Aries is KNOWN to be an extremely jealous sign, especially SOME of the women-I can't stand most that I meet. If it's not about them, then they don't care. F U Aretha, you doggone whale. Whitney had more character than you ever had, sleeping with people's husbands and stuff. I looked up to you until you did this mess.

Aretha that was seriously wack. Now i hope the guy takes your money. who the fuck is aretha and family? No real family would not show up. She obviously showed her true fat ass. Hopefully christine aguerelara will sing at her funeral.

I thought she was grieving and therefore couldn't sing. I didn't want to pass judgement because everyone grieves in their own way. However, this new information doesn't give her a pass. Aretha definitely should have been in a wheelchair and showed up to send Whitney off. Period.

Wow Snitch! Your site seems to have been hijacked within the last couple of weeks! Many of your regulars are kind of observing from a distance and waiting to see if the Wintertime riffraff is going to eventually dissipate with the coming of Spring or if you've been officially taken over.

I mean, don't get me wrong. There are still some posters who embody the voice of reason holding down the fort, but you seem to have really opened yourself up to an ominous energy of late!

That being said... THE QUEEN HAS SPOKEN! This statement is more than enough to explain your absence. And there are those of us who understand COMPLETELY! I'll just leave it at that...

You can't blame Aretha because her hands were tied. It was either go to the funeral and get sued for violating the terms of her contract or not go and be called every name in the book. Either way Aretha loses.

@12:19 ^^^^Everybody posts anon now as to not get attacked and accused of being same person posting undercover as different people. Notice that doesn't happen as much anymore because hardly nobody posts with a name. There's no one left to accuse of doing this which was stupid to even think anyone would do anyhow.

So we are supposed to be naive and stupid and just say okay to this. Even though it is really none of our business, I find this absolutely not nice. Maybe she was upset about her position on the program. Wow, Aretha has lost major, major points with me. How come Dionne did not know she would be a no-show. Something strangely wrong here. But with Cissy being so private we may never know the truth behind this absolutely atrocious diss by Aretha.

So she care more about her concert then her God daugthers Home Going, her concert was more important then being there after cissy asked her too. I expected more from aretha. I'm sure if the tables were turned Whitney would have been there for aretha.

*Beyonce is back on her grind just a month after having her bundle of joy.But she wasn’t the one to tell the world the news. Songwriter-producer Ryan Tedder ‘accidentally’ told the Grammy audience that he’s got some “Beyonce stuff” on his schedule this year.He hinted that some of the new stuff would be all about her daughter Blue Ivy. But the conversation stopped there. Both he and the singer just had the talk the other day.Overall, though, he’s looking forward to working with the super star mom, as he know she’s a hard worker.“You feed her the best that you have. She’s just a phenomenal filter… she can identify what the next thing is,” Ryan said during a press conference. “You just let her go.”But the big shocker was when Ryan revealed that Bey actually has “two projects happening” in 2012.

Aretha could have been grieving really badly or there could have been an issue with the interview she had with Al Roker encouraging Bobby to be there for his daughter at the funeral two days before the funeral.Aretha seemed to rise above the drama and know that Bobbi Kris needed her daddy and I think by her being sympathetic towards Bobby that Whits family got mad. I know there was some drama there because how in the hell could they make room for 50 Winans but not her ex hubby of 15 years and her former step kids? Aretha probably did not want part of that foul ish.Whitney had just sang at Bobby parents funeral a few weeks ago even though he remarried and they welcomed Whitney right in, but Bobby was done wrong at Whits funeral. DRAMA........Believe me there is always more than meets the eye. Whitney could not have hated him because she just went the Browns funeral and had lunch with Bobby Feb 2. This may be a money thing where Whits family wants to control the finances because lets face it, she died on their watch not on Bobbys. Bobby has been clean and remarried 2 or 3 years with a child. Whitney died with her Aunt, brother, sis in law and her own group right there! They failed her not Bobby. Wait, she failed herself and her child. Jennifer Holiday said she was on drugs years before Bobby even came along.

Aretha stated that she is/was NOT Whitney's God mother and Whitney referred to Aretha as "aunt". Dionne, who should have known this by now, called Aretha Whitney's God mother, anyway. Aretha and Whitney knew what they were talking about. Dionne needs to stop listening to her Psychic Network Friends.

Like someone posted earlier, she could have came in a wheelchair. She did not have to sing. Now if Cissy hadn't invited her, there probably would have been hell to pay, so Aretha please!!!! Also, I didn't watch her ABC on Friday, did she say anything that the family wouldn't like?

People I have found to be disgusting since Whitney's death:*Clive KeepThePartyGoing Davis*Toni Braxton for trying to revive her career by singing "Why does it hurt so bad" on the red carpet as Whitney lay dead in the same hotel.*That chick who won X Factor & got into with Whitney that weekend, then sold her story to the tabloids. Her music career is over.*The @ssholes who complained when NJ Gov. Christie lowered the flags in Whitney's honor.*Wendy Williams for her crocodile tears, knowing she laughed at Whitney's problems when she herself was a junkie.*Aretha-I don't even have to say why~the first few posts here were hilarious! Rearrange the letters in her name to spell A Hater!*The people who weren't kind enough to give up their seats to Bobbi Kristina's brothers & sister at the church, leaving them outside heartbroken.

*Beyonce is back on her grind just a month after having her bundle of joy.But she wasn’t the one to tell the world the news. Songwriter-producer Ryan Tedder ‘accidentally’ told the Grammy audience that he’s got some “Beyonce stuff” on his schedule this year.He hinted that some of the new stuff would be all about her daughter Blue Ivy. But the conversation stopped there. Both he and the singer just had the talk the other day.Overall, though, he’s looking forward to working with the super star mom, as he know she’s a hard worker.“You feed her the best that you have. She’s just a phenomenal filter… she can identify what the next thing is,” Ryan said during a press conference. “You just let her go.”But the big shocker was when Ryan revealed that Bey actually has “two projects happening” in 2012.

A hater...lol Yeah they had room her Bobby those because she wasn't there and that's like 6 seats right there...lemme stop she shudda just said that she was soooo heartbroken and couldn't keep her self together so she didn't attend...talkin bout her hamhock legs and then gonna dance later...she had a really bad cancer and God forbid she's the next to go but like someone said if the tables were turned, Whitney wudda been there on her last leg!!!

I wonder if her and Whitney's relationship was estranged, has anybody seen the two of them together or at the same event over the past few years? I was shocked when Aretha missed Whitneys BET tribute in 2010. I read somewhere Cissy & Aretha had some bad blood.

But, who knows, maybe Big Retha wanted to get paid for her appearance. Or she's mad about her fans making fun of her marriage announcement. I really think her ass is out for a Pay-Day.....She'll tell Oprah on OWN to boost ratings, why she skipped out on the funeral. Just to get back at Cissy. I love Reatha, but she's bitch. Not the ultimate bitch of all times, that title goes to Diana Ross, just ask Barbara Walters.

I did not know that Aretha was scheduled for a concert in NY. I thought she stayed home in Michigan. If she can go to NY, she could have gone to NJ. There were enough security and vehicles to get her in and out if she was pressed for time. There's more to it that we may never know, but if she felt that strongly against it she did right by staying away.

It was announced on TV by media outside the church before the ceremony even started that Aretha wasn't showing up, so how come nobody told Dionne? It wouldn't have been so obvious if they had gone ahead with the service without calling Aretha's name. Of course people were expecting her to be there, but there would probably be less tongue wagging if they carried on without pausing for her to come forward.

@1:18. So you're saying that the funeral attendees were aware that Aretha wouldn't be in attendance beforehand? If this is true, sounds like some people were out of the loop. But on the real, sounds like a lot of shadyness! Maybe this is what Aretha was trying to avoid!

And I tell you, this Hollywood cult sure knows how to play the dumb masses. They've managed to draw your attention away from clive davis and the bloodsucking record execs, onto other black celebrities and family members who are more than likely, only pawns in their sick, twisted agenda.

Leg Cramps? I'm not buying it!!! That didn't stop her big ass from showing up that time with FOOT CRAMPS at a Christmas event wearing a phucked up pair of Chuck Taylors with an evening gown. Flashback:

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kuo5jmtWwE1qa6si3o1_500.png

With them same support hose, she could've had her "Steadman" push her big ailing ass in a wheelchair to that church. She gets a pass only because we all know she doesn't Fly, if that was the case.

Yes, that was a woman in the metallic coat at the funeral. So what? She probably owns or works for or represents the funeral home. She was on TV days before the funeral talking about it being held at the church after it was announced that there would be no public, civic center memorial service. She did a good job with the media and helping to keep things orderly at the funeral, from what I could tell from the media coverage I received.

Clive is the one that should be getting raked over the coals in the media, if anybody. I'll never get past him going on with the party the day before the Grammys. I could see dinner, reflection on Whitney's life, and perhaps prayer or a moment of silence, but it was as if Whitney meant very little to him the day she died. The food on his plate probably meant more to him than her dead body upstairs. I wonder if any celebrities had the decency not to go or not to stay at the party, considering the circumstances.

I JUST THINK SHE DIDN'T WANT TO SEE THE HYPOCRITES IN THAT FUNERAL AND PROBABLY WOULD HAD LOST IT! So she rather not show up.... Aretha is a straight up person and I could of seen her cursing out a lot o folks that Cissy should of NOT INVITED TO THAT FUNERAL!

Come on after watching that yesterday and the drama unfolding....I don't blame her for not showing up in that circus. Althea probably coming. To pay her respects on her own...not with a bunch of HYPOCRITES on that pew.

The last movie project that Whitney worked on filmed scenes in different Detroit venues over several weeks, so I'm under the impression that if Whitney and Aretha didn't spend time together while Whitney was in the area they at least could have made time for phone calls or something. If not, either it's because they both were too busy or their relationship was strained.

Reethas concert was in New York City which isn't that far from Newark, NJ. They could have propped her up in the luxury bus she tours in and drove her over to the church. Then wheeled her into the church where she could have bowed out from singing and just sat there in support. I think it has more to do with her saying she wasn't Whits godmother and trying to avoid family issues than the cramps.

How do you know that Aretha or her people told the Houston family? Her people may have told the media and hoped that it'd trickle down to the Houstons. Most of the invitees were found out because their PR prersons confirmed that they were invited and were attending or not. I bet you that it was Arethas people and not the Houstons people that told the media she wouldn't be there.

There were many celebs who were there and nobody knew were invited like Mariah and Mary J Blige.

Aretha still should have called Dionne and let her inform the family she wasn't coming! That would have also made if possible for Bobby's fam to be seated with the extra seats Aretha would have taken up! She gets no pass here! If her legs we're hurting that bad she would not had been able to perform later Aaron her concert! Or stand in line at Popeye's chicken, which I'm sure her fat a## did!

@1:58 Great minds think alike. But sadly, it isn't obvious to most of the sheeple. They get played like this on a day-to-day basis. They are heavily programmed and their minds change like the wind. Whatever the media tells them to think and believe, they are robotic, mindless followers. Very few of us actually employ our own critical thinking. We are a threat to their agenda. Anyway, keep thinking for yourself. We need more mental warriors out here anyway...

"*That chick who won X Factor & got into with Whitney that weekend, then sold her story to the tabloids. Her music career is over."

She will never have a successful career. There is a reason why she's been actively working in Hollywood all of these years and has never had a record deal since the one she had with her group decades ago. She's a liar who will hitch on to whomever and whatever she thinks will get her by. She had a bad reputation even before this.

Oh I totally agree. I think there's a dynamic in this situation that we don't know and will probably never know. I don't dislike Aretha but she can have a really nasty attitude and way about her. Aretha could have had a good reason for lying and staying away as well...who knows except for her and the family at this point.

She said she wasn't Whits godmother....so yea she said something the family wouldn't like. You didn't hear the protest in Dionne's voice when she announced Aretha and then had to back out when she said "She IS Whitneys godmother" like she had something to prove or correct. I believe that's why Aretha didn't show up.

I doesn't matter if she was Whitney's God Mother are not she was asked to be there the family wanted her there. If she performed a concert she could have went to whitney's homegoing even if she just sat there she didn't have to sing she should have been there.

Uh yeah she wearing that "gatdamn granny blue, I don't wear no gatdamn blue" sips tea. I know they had a spare wheel chair in that bitch and ReRe can sang in sleep while eating a plate of hawg maw and grits so yes she does need to come better if it aint nothing but "I didn't have time for all that fuckery!" Anybody know if Chaka Khan was there?

^^ Doesn't matter if she is Whits god mother or not but she may have wanted to avoid a bad vibe from her comments. Who knows this is all speculation at the end of the day. Maybe her leg spasms were too debilitating.....

I'm willing to give Aretha Franklin the benefit of the doubt. I do know that Aretha has a phobic fear of flying which, I believe, developed around the time her father was stabbed. Aretha usually travels in a custom fitted bus. So is Aretha's legs were bothering her, a long bus ride would have worsened the situation. Do not judge lest you be judged yourself, the Good Book says.

2:54 what kind of amenities might there be on the "custom fitted" bus. Have you ever seen the inside of a "custom fitted" bus? I bet ReRe custom fitted bus has all the comforts of home, do come better next time. Although I am total agreement she GOT to be NO WHERE she don't want to be FOR ANY DAMN REASON SHE WANTS, just don't come with that okie doke bullshit.

Aretha knew something in the milk wasn't clean. Apparently there's some bad blood between her and Cissy and she did not want to come acting all fake, like she gave a shit. I ain't mad at her . We know the Houston family has fake down to a "T", so they just don't get Aretha's way of thinking.

@ 3:19 but what if she didn't give a fuck about Whitney or maybe Cissy? It's her right to go and come as she pleases. She's no relation to WH and is not obligated to do nothing but stay black and die. Fuck those parasitic industry whores. Old face Cissy and Crypt Keeper Dionne.

....oh young ones...it seems that Ms. Jones has to take some of you to school yet again. The real reason why Ms. Franklin did not appear was because Mr. Jackson (Jesse) did not wish to escort her and chose Robert Flack (one of his other side chicks/sugarmamas for the last 30/40 years) instead. Don't believe me? Ask Nancy Wilson...his other jumpoff too!!!

I don't believe that about Jesse and Aretha. I know they're longtime friends, but I can't see him having anything to do with why she didn't attend the funeral. Hell, his ass should have been in the audience and if she just wanted an escort there's always her beau who has been going all over the place with her for years.

This is so inconvenient that the tea spillers are arriving in a thread that I am trying really hard to keep respectful of the subject matter. You guys have impeccable timing! Where you guys be hiding out at on slow news days when Snitch has to resort to pulling rabbits out of her hat?

I was wondering why Roberta Flack was at the service when afterward she said in an interview that she hardly knew Whitney. Then I remembered the rumors of her affair with Jesse Jackson & the song on one of her old albums titled "Jesse" that she claims is not about him. It goes something like this:Jesse, come home, there's a hole in the bedwhere we slept and it's growing coldJesse, your face in the place where we lay bythe hearth, all apart, it hangs on my heartAnd I'm keeping the light on the stairNo, I'm not scared, I wait for youHey Jesse, I'm lonely. Come home_______________________________________ It seems the "Reverend" likes to fill the ladies with more than the holy ghost.

Aint no way never ever never ever never ever NEVER Jesse Jackson's wack ass rhyming could talk me out ma draws, I don't see for those women either or more to the point I DON"T want to see for those wommen.

I wish the divine Miss Aretha had come there. I would've loved to hear/see her put some stank on a gospel hymn. Love that woman! She sings gospel songs like no other can and she'd have taken them folks to church up in that church - literally. I love her 2CD album from back in the day when she sang with the Reverend James Cleveland and the Southern California Mass Choir.

More than anything, though: I would've loved to see her shut Alicia "I Really Can't Sing" Keys down and run her ass outta town, sounding like a damn cat that got it's tail stuck under a rocking chair. Alicia Keys really need to recognize her limitations ...

...this is Ms. Jones again. Many of you are way too young to remember that before Jesse became a smart shakedown artist, he lived off of the largesse of a number of black female entertainers, namely Aretha, Nancy, Roberta, and Gladys Knight. His wife Jackie knew and benefitted from it! Remember that many of these women had a falling out some years ago and some, like Cissy Houston chose Nancy and Roberta's side (against Aretha). If you do not believe me, please read Aretha Franklin's autobiography where she takes swipes at a few of them. Jesse is also the mystery man that she refers to... it is very obvious.

I don't know if Chaka was in attendance, but if she was I'm glad she didn't speak. I'd hate for her to get up in front of the audience at the church and talk about how she used to get high with Bobby and Whitney.

Aretha was just mad that Whitney in a shorter amount of time completely smashed her career. Even aretha couldn't touch Whitney in her prime and aretha's jealous ass couldn't handle it. She probably played nice while Whitney was alive, but now that the attention is all on Whitney again her sloppy old fat ass is pissed!

Aretha has always held her own. I don't believe envy was an issue here. Aretha may have her share of problems, but her career is on track as she is still successfully and frequently performing. Apparently people want to see and hear her. That was not the case with Whitney and her busted ass vocal chords and erratic behavior, due to drug abuse.

*smh* @ bloggers from Miss Cellie's blog 0--coming on here tracing IP addresses...(or Miss Cellie herself) then going back to spread the word about what's said here."Don't talk to him look what he said on this other blog!!"SMH even more at those fat, overweight ugly morons who agree. "ok, I'll act funky on the blog to them...because I'm not accepted offline, only the losers here accept me so I "sip" and make side eye commments instead of speaking up." lmaooooooooooooooooo....losers!!

Roll your eyes at THAT ugly daddy dck suckin trolls!! Log off and stop pretending you tell baby daddies off. Like anybody would put his penis inside of you. as if!! trace this IP and give your self away.

Nobody can know why she decided not to go. Like some have said, maybe she didn't wanna be part of a thirsty ass circus? Yeh it would have been honorable to keep ya word and show up, but who knows, man. A lotta these celebrities claiming to be such friends probably don't see or talk to each other for years and years at a time. Even in light of Whitney's death, most of this seems like a show, and for whatever reason, Ms. Franklin didn't wanna be part of it. So be it..

I speculate the REAL reason Aretha didn't show up is because she is afraid to fly.She couldn't drive to NJ and then make her performance probably.OR, she just wouldn't be able to handle it.But, I doubt that's the case.But, if it were leg cramps I know how excruciating they can be.(I had muscle spasms in my neck b4 and GEEZ, ooh, PAIN!)However, I can understand if you are in pain,especially the legs-That means,NO MOBILITY.Wheelchair??Well, then comes the "why is she in a wheelchair questions".But, who cares, you go.When it comes to funerals it's good to at least show up and leave.I can't imagine painstakingly sitting thru a service when i am suffering through my tormenting menstrual cramps.(I mean cramps and errthang else dat go w. it.) But, for a bigger and important reason such as that, I would "show and go".That's just how I look at it..Whew..(IK i wrote a lot).

As many have said, I believe Aretha didn't want to be part of that mockery they called a funeral. all those fake ass people. Didn't Donny Mclurken or whatever his name is say at the end of the service and I quote: We have more celebrities here than the grammys! Like it was a good thing. Just like Bobby Jr. said, it's all about show to those people. Aretha said FUCK IT! and honored Whitney in her own way on stage. She knows clive davis was responsible for whitneys demise. So do cissy, dionne's ass & them money grubbin houstons. Who's gonna take care of them all now? Bobby kristina? I guess they think Clive Davis gonna be their new sponsor. SAD!